The present invention relates to devices for transporting personal belongings that may be worn in a pocket of clothing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a clipped device for holding folded currency bills.
There are money clips known in the prior art. Such money clips typically had pockets having a rather short depth making the pockets ill-suited for carrying cards such as business cards, driver""s licenses, and credit cards. Further, such money clips typically had only one or two pockets requiring that all cards carried be deposited in those pockets.
With the proliferation of cards being carried by individuals including a plurality of credit cards and automated teller machine cards, there is a need for a money clip having a number of different pockets so that the various types of cards can be organized by the user. Additionally, the leaves of the money clip should provide for greater depth of the pockets in order to better enclose the various cards.
Wagner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,251, discloses a billfold that is made from a sheet of material by folding the sheet of material along two perpendicular fold lines. The billfold also includes tabs that fold over to cover the currency and credit card compartments.
McPhee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,332, describes a wallet having a currency compartment and a credit card compartment. The wallet may be fabricated from a single strip of material. The wallet permits credit cards to be removed from the credit card compartment without opening the currency compartment.
Folkertsma, U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,210, teaches a wallet with a detachable billfold. The wallet includes two side members. One of the side members is adapted to receive the billfold. The other side member has a plurality of pockets for storing credit cards. The billfold includes a currency compartment and a plurality of slots for storing credit cards.
Scheunemann, U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,523, discloses a billfold having a central portion that is capable of receiving credit cards and a pair of side portions that fold over the central portion. The central portion includes a liner having a plurality of tabs to maintain the credit cards in a desired orientation.
Niernberger, U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,276, describes a wallet that includes a rectangular main body portion with a pocket formed therein. The wallet has a resilient clip for retaining currency next to a surface of the main body portion. The wallet also includes a pair of slots that are adapted to receive credit cards. The wallet further includes a flap that is foldable over the resilient clip and the slots to retain the currency and the credit cards in a fixed position.
Siegel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,398, teaches a wallet that is suited for holding a plurality of credit cards. The wallet has a pair of side portions to each is attached a credit card holding device. Each of the credit card holding devices is has a plurality of regions that are adapted to receive credit cards. The credit card holding devices are foldable upon each other to place the credit card holding device in a compact configuration. The regions each have a recess formed therein to facilitate removing the credit cards.
However, the prior art is deficient in that it does not teach or suggest a money clip that enables both currency and credit cards to be easily stored and accessed and that readily adjusts to accommodate different amounts of currency and credit cards to be stored therein.
The money clip of the present invention substantially meets the aforementioned needs of the industry. The money clip includes a first leaf, a second leaf, a spine and a clip.
The first leaf has a first end and a second end. The first leaf includes a first main portion, a first inner pocket and a first outer pocket. The first main portion has a first side and a second side. The first inner pocket is attached to the first side to provide a first opening proximate the first end and a second opening proximate the second end. The first outer pocket is attached to the second side to provide an opening proximate the first end.
The second leaf has a first end and a second end. The second leaf includes a second main portion, a second inner pocket and a second outer pocket. The second inner pocket is attached to the first side to provide openings proximate the first end and the second end. The second outer pocket is attached to the second side to provide an opening proximate the first end.
The spine is operably attached to the first ends of the first leaf and the second leaf. The clip is pivotally attached to the spine.
The leaves of the money clip are substantially lengthened in comparison to the prior art money clips such that the pockets attached thereto have considerably greater depth for better enclosing cards deposited therein. Additionally, there are four pockets, two outside pockets and two inside pockets so that the user of the money clip of the present invention may suitably organize the various types of cards being carried.